Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria have agreed on joint steps at the ministerial level to cooperate with international institutions on a major environmental disaster in the Black Sea caused by fuel oil pollution.

Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine Svitlana Grynchuk announced this on her Facebook page. She held a regular online meeting with Mircea Fechet, Minister of Environment, Water and Forests of Romania, and Petar Dimitrov, Minister of Environment and Water of Bulgaria. According to officials, the lack of verified data on the consequences of the russian tankers’ accident on 15 December 2024 and the subsequent spread of fuel oil in the Black Sea remains a problem. The only information available on this situation is through Crimean local media and a limited number of satellite images.

As of today, the images show that the contamination with russian fuel oil has reached the city of Yevpatoriya. The Ukrainian Scientific Centre of Ecology of the Sea continues to monitor the development of the emergency using available means.

“Our colleagues stressed that our cooperation is not a favour to Ukraine, but a shared responsibility. The Black Sea unites a number of European countries. Despite the fact that mathematical models do not show the slick moving westwards, the consequences of the russian tanker accident pose risks to the entire Black Sea. We are talking about tens of kilometres of fuel oil film on the water surface in the Black Sea, thousands of kilometres of polluted coastline, thousands of dead birds and dozens of dolphins, and disrupted food chains in ecosystems. According to preliminary estimates by environmental inspectors, the fuel oil leak caused material damage to the Black Sea ecosystem worth more than USD 14 billion. We also agreed to coordinate joint efforts to limit the entry of the outdated russian fleet into the Black Sea, which poses potential threats to the marine ecosystem,” said Svitlana Grynchuk.

According to the Ukrainian Minister, Ukraine has already addressed the relevant secretariats of the UN conventions, UNEP, UNESCO, the European Union, and the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Feedback has been received from the Secretariat of the Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution on the need to hold an extraordinary meeting to consider this case. Also, on 27 January this year, the case will be considered at a meeting of the IMO Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response.

“We are continuing our observations, preparing an appeal to the European Commission and expecting a strong response from the international community. This is not the first similar situation with russian tankers. russia disregards international maritime law. Ignoring this accident now would mean allowing it to happen again in the future,” said Svitlana Grynchuk.